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Tuesday, 27 June 2017

Roaming Wild - Tracey Devlyn - Blog Tour

She's loved him forever...

The last thing traveling nurse Evie Steele expects to find aboard the RV housing her mobile health clinic is her brother’s best friend. As always, Deke’s close proximity stirs her forbidden desires and long-suppressed dreams. But his sudden reappearance in her life and curious interest in her patients makes Evie wonder what he’s hiding.

…but now his secrets could destroy them both.

Special agent Deke Conrad is in big trouble. Not only does he have a thing for his friend’s little sister, but what should be a routine mission is turning into a tour of temptation and survival. He fooled himself into thinking he could keep the beautiful and dynamic Evie in the dark while he used the cover of her Med Mobile to track down a merciless wildlife trafficker. But he didn't anticipate the lure of her scent or the warmth of her smile…or the string of dead bodies littering their path.

When Evie winds up in his enemy’s crosshairs, Deke must unleash every weapon in his arsenal to save her, including his heart. But will he be too late?

Roaming Wild is a romantic suspense and the sixth title in the Steele Ridge series, although it can easily be read as a stand alone.

Roaming Wild is Evie Steele and Deke Conrad's story, a friends to lovers trope. Evie is an endearing character, intelligent, strong, decisive, feisty and brave. Whilst Deke is your typical sexy alpha. He is honest, caring, capable, strong and very protective. I really enjoyed the banter between this pair, that ranges from fun, flirty and humorous to intense, authoritative and compelling.

This story has a great blend of romance, intrigue ans suspense. Although my first time reading anything written by Tracey Devlyn, it will not be my last. I throughout enjoyed this title, it was a fast paced read, well written and told from multiple points of view. The story was full of twists and turns, and elements of action, danger and drama that kept me enthralled.

July
31

Steele
Ridge, Western North Carolina

Deke
pushed through the door of Blues, Brews, and Books—or, as the
locals liked to say, Triple B. It was good to be back in Steele
Ridge, which had formerly been named Canyon Ridge. His family had
moved here right before he entered the fourth grade and stayed
through his junior year before returning to their hometown of
Rockton.

For
him, Steele Ridge would always be his true home. He’d made lifelong
friends here, and it was the place where he’d become a man.

His
eyes took a moment to adjust before settling on the lone figure
stationed at the bar. Zigzagging his way around islands of low and
high tables, he slapped his friend’s broad shoulder. “Hello, shit
for brains.”

Rather
than be startled by such an abrupt greeting, Britt Steele angled his
lumberjack body around and held out his hand. “You’re late.” He
shook Deke’s hand before bellying up to the bar again. “Some of
us have to return to work, you know.”

Deke
slid onto the barstool kiddie corner to his friend’s. “Can’t
even work up an ounce of sympathy.” He nodded to the bartender,
Grady. “My last vacation was over a year ago. I’m going to enjoy
every second of the next fourteen days.”

Deke
did his damnedest not to lie to those he cared about. As far as his
friends and family knew, he worked for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service’s Office of External Affairs, traveling all over the
Southeast Region in search of his next story. Or he could be found
cooped up at the Asheville field office banging out articles for the
Service’s quarterly newsletter. All true—but not the whole truth.

“You
have no idea how threatening the office environment can be.”

“And
I hope I never do. How are you healing?”

The
dull, throbbing pain in his shoulder served as a constant reminder of
how quickly a mission could go wrong, even with hours of careful
planning. Matteo had gotten the worst of it, though. SONR’s
engineer had spent three days in the hospital after the surgeon had
dug the arrow out of his leg. The damned thing had gone so deep that
the tip had embedded in bone.

Clenching
his jaw, Deke flexed his fingers and lifted his elbow until the
action caused an involuntary wince. Better than yesterday, but he
wouldn’t be playing basketball anytime soon.

“Getting
there.”

“What
do you have planned, besides lunch with a friend you’ve blown off
for months?”

“Not
a damn thing.”

“You’re
going to stare at your apartment walls for the next two weeks?”

“Maybe.
If the mood strikes.”

“Don’t
see it. I’ve never known you to be idle, in over twenty-five
years.”

“I’m
hoping to sleep away the first two days.” Deke rubbed his tired
eyes. “I’ll see where things go from there.”

“Tough
assignment?”

He
chose his words carefully. “They get more complicated every time.”

“Complicated
how? Don’t you just go into an area, interview people, take some
pictures and then write up an article?”

“I
wish it were that simple.”

“What
can I get you?” Grady asked.

“Surprise
me.” He glanced at Britt. “You order food yet?”

“Yeah.
Hope you’re in the mood for a burger.”

“Do
you order for Randi?”

“Not
a chance,” a new voice said.

Randi
Shepherd cuddled against Britt’s side and kissed him. Although she
kept it short, Deke could feel the power of their intimacy from two
feet away. A pang of envy clutched his chest, and he shifted his
attention to Grady’s nimble hands. What he wouldn’t give to have
a woman love him as Randi loves Britt. It was a notion that had
filtered through his thoughts a lot lately.

“He
knows better.” Randi wrapped Deke in a warm hug. “Seems like
forever since we saw you last. You gonna hang around Steele Ridge for
a while?”

“I’d
planned to. Mind if I rent the loft above the bar for a few days?”

“Of
course. I’ll have someone run up there to see if it’s habitable.”

“Thought
you didn’t have a plan,” Britt said.

“My
plan is not to have a plan.”

Randi
laughed. “Let me go check on your food.”

He
watched his friend’s gaze follow Randi from the room. “How’s
domestic life treating you?”

“Bit
of an adjustment at first, but we’ve settled into a groove now.”

“A
good one?”

“The
best.”

“How’s
the Center?”

Thanks
to a hefty investment from Britt’s younger brother, he was running
a Wildlife Research Center on the outskirts of town.

“I
hired a botanist to study the red wolves’ habitat and the
surrounding conservation area.”

“Is
that trepidation or skepticism I hear in your voice?”

“Fear.”
Britt lifted a beer mug to his lips. “She’s my cousin.”

He
searched his memory for another conservationist in the Steele family.
“Not Riley.”

“Ding,
ding, ding.”

“The
Kingston menace?”

Britt
smiled.

“What
the hell were you thinking? She used to plant shit bombs in our
sleeping bags.”

“She
just got back from a research expedition in Costa Rica and needed a
job. The Center needed a botanist, so everyone’s happy.”

“Can’t
wait to see how long that lasts.”

A
gust of air signaled the arrival of a newcomer to Triple B. Even
before Deke turned, a buzz of awareness sprinted down his spine. Only
one person had ever had that effect on him.

The
last person who should.

Evie
Steele.

Even
though he’d known her since she’d toddled around on chubby legs,
he’d first noticed her crystal blue eyes, silken black hair, and
long, long legs right after she turned sixteen. He’d come upon her
sunbathing in a gut-socking white bikini. The sight had stopped him
cold. Then the heat had come. Scorching, blood-searing heat.

When
she’d glanced at him over her bare shoulder and thrown out her
sweet Evie smile, he could only stare at the way the triangle of
white material molded her firm ass. She’d twisted around, and his
attention had torn from her rounded bottom to mouthwatering breasts
that would fit his hand perfectly.

Somewhere
between fifteen and sixteen, his Squirt had…developed.
And he’d stirred. For her. Evie.
The
girl who, up to that point, had been like a sister to him. Guilt had
consumed him.

For
years afterwards, he’d done everything he could to avoid her.

Avoidance
hadn’t stopped his thoughts. His vivid dreams. His comparing every
woman he looked at to Evie’s perfection.

Evie
Steele had squirmed her way into every conscious thought and desire
he possessed. No amount of cursing, women, or distance had managed to
shake her hold.

At
one point, when she’d cleared high school, he’d considered
braving Britt’s big brother wrath and asking her out. But she’d
plunged into college and nursing school at the same time he’d been
invited to join a newly formed black ops unit with the Service.

Now,
four years later, their journeys were still worlds apart. With a
degree under her belt, Evie would be starting a career. Whereas kids,
family, and settling down had begun visiting his thoughts, as of
late.

Britt
had found soul-searing happiness with Randi. She smoothed his edges,
cared for him in a way no one else ever had. And he’d almost lost
the love of his life to a greed-driven trophy hunter.

The
power of that kind of love struck fear in Deke’s heart and warmed
it, at the same time. Problem was, he didn’t have a wife, fiancée,
or even a girlfriend. Not one viable candidate.

His
gaze locked on Evie’s across the bar, and the pressure on his chest
intensified, became crushing. Time had passed, and his lecherous
guilt had faded. They were both adults now. If not for the twelve
years separating their ages, Evie might have been the one.

But
he could never ask her to put her career on hold to be with him and
start a family. What if she did and then couldn’t stomach the
demands of his career? She would’ve given up so much, for what?

Heartbreak.

Resentment.

Anger.

Hate.

He
swallowed back his longing and returned to his beer, allowing the
familiar mask to drop in place.

Forcing
away the memory of last year’s stolen kiss.

*
* *

Evie
Steele spotted her brother the moment she entered Triple B. Over two
hundred pounds of muscle and shaggy blond hair was hard to miss, even
in this lunch crowd.

Her
big brother held her attention for about a half a second before her
Deke radar blared.

There
he was. Every bit as tall as Britt, but with the sleek, muscled
planes of a leopard rather than the thick sturdiness of a tiger.
Deke’s coloring was even darker, deeper. As if he’d spent all the
hours of his days outside. Curly ebony hair shaved close at the sides
and back and tamed at the top by a hint of hair product.

What
she wouldn’t do to see that beautiful mane grow wild, to run her
fingers through his thick curls. To feel their softness whisper
against her bare breast. Evie shook off the erotic fantasy before she
made a fool of herself in front of the good residents of Steele
Ridge.

Instead,
she braced herself for their reunion. At the moment, she was quite
unhappy with him. But Deke Conrad could charm the cantankerous out of
any farmer and he had every woman in town holding their breath for
one of his lopsided grins to float their way.

Deke
was a dangerous man.

Especially
to her. She’d crushed on him since before she’d known what the
word meant. Then her young girl’s worship transformed into
something deeper, hotter, more stirring than a simple attraction. She
ached
to draw imaginary lines over his broad, bare back, to trace her lips
down the center of his glistening chest, to inhale his musky,
masculine scent as her tongue explored his most intimate parts.

Gah!
She had to stop with the naked, entwined images.

The
big lug refused to see her as a beddable woman. Scratch that. He’d
noticed. She’d caught him looking at her behind a time or two. The
most memorable moment, the time that had given her the most hope, was
when she’d been sitting in front of the picture window in her mom’s
front room.

At
that time of the day, silhouettes from inside the house reflected
onto the glass, giving her fair warning should any of her brothers
try to sneak up from behind. But her brothers hadn’t filled the
picture window that day. Deke had.

He’d
stopped by to pick up Britt for some outing or other and spotted her
reading. He hadn’t announced his presence. He’d just stood there,
watching her.

Even
now, years later, her flesh heated, her breasted tightened, her
center dampened at the memory. All for a guy who couldn’t get
beyond the fact that she was his best friend’s little sister.

Sometimes
she’d like to flick his ears. Knock the fog from his eyes. Last
year, at the groundbreaking ceremony for Britt’s wildlife research
center, she’d thought he’d set aside the ridiculous barrier he’d
erected and decided to see where their mutual attraction led. But the
next morning, the scaredy-cat had disappeared.

For
eleven months, eight days, and…never mind. It was a long frickin’
time.

His
dark gaze honed in on her across the bar. A spin top tore across her
chest, then idled on her stomach, burrowing deep. She slapped the
damn thing away.

Who
disappeared after a first kiss? Caveman Conrad, that’s who. When
he’d vanished without a word of goodbye, he’d lost his chance
with her. Not that he was rolling any dice in that direction, but if
he were, he’d hit snake eyes. Too many loved ones had ditched her
over the years. She wasn’t about to get tangled up with a guy who
couldn’t see past her last name to the woman she’d become.

At
least that’s what she told herself. One come hither-glance from
those iridescent eyes, and all her hard lines would go limp like a
spaghetti noodle. No getting around it. She was a hot mess when it
came to her feelings for Deke Conrad. “Evie-girl, what are you up
to today?” asked a woman with a thick salt-and-pepper braid resting
over one shoulder.

“Here
to pester my brother before I set off for another MedTour. Speaking
of which, how’s your knee? Still painful when you bend it?”

“Nah.
Those exercises you gave me did the trick.”

“Happy
to hear it. Have a nice afternoon, Mrs. Grossman.”

As
she wove her way to the bar, several diners gave her quick waves, big
smiles, and warm hellos. She mustered a half-hearted acknowledgment.
She didn’t stop to chat like normal. She couldn’t. No words could
get past her air-locked throat.

Deke
was in her midst.

Damn
the man!

“Hey,
Squirt,” Deke said when she neared.

The
nickname was like a palm to the forehead. Blunt. Hard. Crushing.

She
met his gaze. Held it long enough to determine whether or not he
remembered their kiss. Those ice-blue eyes held the same warm
friendship they always had. No longing. No passion. No glimmer of
hope. “Hey, Deke.”

Britt
turned around on his barstool, and she hugged him before sitting on
his opposite side.

“What?
No squeeze for me?”

Somehow
she produced her most mischievous smile. “I don’t hug strangers.”

“Ouch.
It hasn’t been that long.”

“Guess
that depends on your perspective.”

Britt
eyed the two of them, big brother suspicion creasing the area between
his brows.

Time
for a subject change.

“Thanks
for the lunch invite,” she said. “I’m glad we could get
together before I head out.”

“Need
anything?” Britt asked.

“I’m
good, thanks.” She nudged her shoulder against his. “I have a job
now, you know.”

“I
know.”

She
let the issue alone. Britt would always look out for his younger
brothers and sisters. No matter their age or economic status. Heck,
Jonah was a billionaire and Britt still tried to buy his lunch.

“Taking
a trip?” Deke asked.

“Yep.”

He
waited for her to explain. She didn’t. She was that annoyed with
him.

“Here
you go.” Kris McKay slid plates in front of Britt and Deke. “Can
I get you boys anything else?”

“Not
in front of the kid,” Deke said, winking at Kris.

“What
in the world are you talking about, Deke Conrad?” Kris asked,
throwing a conspiratorial grin her way. “Evie’s my age.”

“Do
you have a job lined up now that you’re done with college?” Deke
asked.

“I’m
not done yet.”

He
glanced a Britt. “Didn’t you tell me she graduated?”

“She
did. Evie’s starting a Master’s degree.”

“Master’s.”
Deke’s flat tone drew her gaze. His expression remained neutral,
but his eyes…his eyes revealed…loss.

Her
throat closed at the small tell of his feelings. Why loss? Why
wouldn’t he be happy for her?

Breaking
eye contact, he lifted his beer bottle to his lips. “Is that why
you’re taking a trip? A little me time before classes start up?”

“No
me time.” She stared at the tray of quartered limes and lemons. A
strange hollowness filled the area where her heart used to be. Why
couldn’t she figure him out? Why did he persist in ignoring this
thing between them? Why did she let him?

“She’s
going to travel around the mountains in an RV, patching up patients
who don’t have health care or reliable transportation.”

“By
yourself?”

“I’ll
be working under the direction of a Nurse Practitioner. Lisa Frye.
She went to school with you and Britt.”

“I
remember her. She’s an old friend.”

The
softening around Deke’s mouth and eyes lanced her insides. She
reached for her water again. “Then you’ve heard of her MedTours.”

“I
knew she went to different towns to offer up her services, but I
didn’t realize it was so structured. Definitely didn’t know about
the RV.”

“One
serving of Randi’s bruschetta.” Kris set a rectangular dish in
front of her. “Let me know if you need anything else.”

“Thanks,
this should be more than enough.” Evie picked up a piece of toasted
bread piled high with tiny cubed tomatoes, herbs, onions, garlic, and
balsamic vinegar. She bit into the mound, and the mixture of flavors
burst into her mouth. She closed her eyes, chewing slowly,
appreciatively. Enjoying something besides yogurt and Ramen noodles,
for a change.

“Good?”

She
opened her eyes to find Britt smiling down at her. She grinned back
until she caught Deke staring at her mouth. She licked her bottom
lip, hoping like hell she didn’t have basil stuck in her teeth.

His
focus intensified, burned, until his gaze lifted to hers.

Blink.
And
the fire disappeared.

Deke
cleared his throat. “How does this MedTour thing work? Are people
scheduling appointments? Or do you make house calls?”

Evie
released a painful breath, wishing she could blink away emotion as
easily as he. “Every month the MedTour visits impoverished
communities all over the Smokies.”

“Residents
come to expect you, then.”

“Yes,
Lisa has set up a regular route. Every once in a while she’ll veer
off-course because of an emergency or something. But the whole thing
runs like clockwork. Takes two weeks to complete the route, barring
anything crazy coming up.”

“Two
weeks on tour, two weeks off?”

“Yep.”

“What
towns are you hitting?”

“I
don’t recall the entire schedule, but I know Haden’s Hollow,
Niles, and Creede are on the list.”

“Creede?”
His gaze sharpened on her. “Isn’t that close to Bamford?”

“I
have no idea.”

“Just
to the north of Bamford,” Britt interjected.

“When
are you headed out?” Deke asked.

“Three
days from now.”

Deke
took several bites of his burger, throwing them all into a thoughtful
silence. Then he asked, “Do you enjoy the work?”

She
nodded. “After four years of nursing school, I’m glad to finally
put what I’ve learned into practice. Everyone we treat is so
grateful. It’s an amazing program.” She aimed another mound of
bruschetta toward her mouth. “This is only my second tour. I live
in fear I’ll screw something up and cause someone more harm than
good.”

“If
you treat enough people, the odds are good that you’ll screw up
something,” Britt said in his most pragmatic voice. “The
important part is what you do afterwards.”

“Are
you trying to terrify me?”

“No.”
His eyebrows pushed together. “All I’m saying is when you mess up
don’t dwell on the mistake. Figure out how to fix it and how not to
do it again.”

“Of
course I’m proud of her. But no one’s perfect, especially not
when starting a new job. Mistakes happen.”

“It’s
okay, Britt,” she said. “I knew what you meant.” Britt didn’t
waste words, nor was he one for chitchat. For him to say as much as
he had on the topic told her that he was as nervous about this new
adventure as she.

“I’m
proud of her, too,” Deke said.

Startled
by Deke’s quiet statement, Evie stared him.

“Many
people talk. They empathize with their neighbor about the poor in
Appalachia, while enjoying lattes at the local coffee shop. But they
don’t act. The poor have no impact on their daily lives, so their
empathy wanes with the next weighty topic.” He lopsided smile
appeared, the one that always, always melted her heart. “You’re a
doer, Evie Steele. Always have been.”

Needles
stung her nose and the backs of her eyes. Words of thanks clogged her
throat, refusing to emerge for fear of their inadequacy.

He
tossed his napkin onto the bar and drew a twenty-dollar bill from his
wallet. “Gotta go.”

“You
just got here,” Britt said.

“Just
remembered I need to follow up on something for work.”

“I
thought you were taking some time off.”

“I
am. Or will be.” He shook Britt’s hand and hesitated a second
before nodding to her. “See y’all later.”

“Hey,”
Britt called, angling around. “If you’re free this Sunday, give
me a call. Found a new fishing spot with bluegills the size of your
hand.”

“Sounds
like my kind a hole.”

She
followed Deke’s departure until his dark head was no longer
visible. A familiar ache of loss filled in her chest.

“What
was all that about?” Britt asked.

“All
what?”

“The
tension between the two of you was so thick I nearly suffocated.”

“So
melodramatic.”

“I’m
waiting.”

“We’ve
always teased each other.”

“Exactly.
Tease.” Britt rubbed a hand over his face and released a harsh
breath. “Listen, I recognize when a man—”

“There’s
nothing going on between us. All I did was call him out on staying
away for so long.”

He
regarded her for several uncomfortable seconds, disbelief storming in
his eyes. But he didn’t press her. Simply dipped a fry into his
ketchup and handed it to her.

Gratitude
made her smile. How could she tell her brother that the tension he
sensed might have been sexual on her side, but avoidance on Deke’s?
One humiliation per day was more than enough. Thank the sweet Lord
she wouldn’t see Deke Conrad again anytime soon.

USA Today bestselling author Tracey Devlyn wanted to be the next Dian Fossey and explore the wilds of Africa, but that was before she met chemistry and calculus and realized a business major, rather than a science degree, might be more up her alley.

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